Thepraifeof An tiquitie. after Míhwednefday. Serm.3. 41 good things , but morepartcularly of Wifedome. And therefore Godcom- manded his Peopleto take this for their guide and Mafter,viz.Thou'haltnot pp the antient bounds ; inquire of the dayes of old; Remember the times that were longagent. And the moftanrient were euer held¡as the treafuries of euidences, andthe RollesofRecords. The frmoufeft men ofthe world hauefought out theantienteft for their Inftru&ors ; for,tn antigunofffapientia, bmulto tempore' prudentia. And for this caufecould Salomon fay, Doe notyee aske, why theformer times werebetter ;for thisisafoolifhquefiion: Firft,becaufeinrefpeétofwifdome, that is notPaid inour times, which was not Paidbefore;Nothingcanbefaid,which hathnot beenfaidalreadie. The Comicke could fay There is no new thingvnder theSwine : andSalomon, TCer is any manabletofay,Thisis but now comeforth. Se- condly, In regardofall othergood things : for it is manifeft , that the former times were thebetter ; for there is no wife man that doth not bewaile the pre- fent. Deuteroiomiecomplaineth, That the times were illarid peruerfe , and the People foolifh, and ill giuen. Saint Iohn, That wickedneffe was grownto it's heigth, Inmaligneft omne,&c. Inaword,there is not any Ecclefafticäll Hifto- rian, nor Ciuile, which Both not lament thewickedneffe ofhisTimes. Plautus commending Wit, comparesit to Wine, which the olderit is, the better it is. ManyAuthors arenot nowreckoned of,which(hall grow famoustwo hundred yeres hence:& manyPainters get not that commendationthey deferue,& only becaufe they aremodern. Michael Angelo hid an Image in certaine antientbuil- dings ; for heknewif it wereprefently difcouered, theywould hauepraifedit foran excellentold pieceof times paff, till theyhad feene his name, which he had fet thereunto. ThisDo&trine is verseplaine, makingthe comparifon from the time ofeue- rie one of thofe Lawes, Naturall, Written, and that of Grace ; wherein they were belt in their beginnings. But if the comparifon be gener all forall times whatfoeuer ; howbeit in the ordernaturalithe formerwere the better,becaufe all thingsgrow old, andwaxe worfe andworfe, as is tobe feene in Plants, Beafts,&Men : yet inthe order fupernaturall,thofe times are thebetter,which Saint Paul calleth thelatter: For althoughGoddidmanygreat fauours in thofe former Ages, yet all of them put together did notcome neereto the Incarnati- on anddeathof Chrift,and thofe hisblefled Sacraments. And therefore Efay faid,Nememineritis priorum, & antiqua, ne intuamini, (i.)Doe notfomuch admire Chafe things that were doneinformer times ; for theyareallas it were clouded and obfcured by thefe that we now prefently enioy. And this is prooued now at this daybythe perfectionof the Law; forantiquitie did admit the Law ofa mans rightingofhimfelfe,when hewas wronged ; of louinghis friend, and ha- ting his enemie : but this is now controlled and reformed. Diliges amicum tulips . Thou (halt loue thy friend. This is apart of that commandement, That wee fbould loueour neighbor; andmay feeme tobetakenout of thenineteenth ofLeuitictts , whereitis Paid, Thoufbalt loue thyfriend : WhenceLyra prefumeth theydrew that contrarie ar- gument of hatingtheir enemie. This former part feemeth tobe fuperfluous; Frrft, becaufeNature left not any thing fodeepely ingrauen in mans heart, as to loue him that loueth vs : And therefore a needleffe commandement to impofe thofe thingsvponvs, whereuntowehauea natural appetite.Whatneed we will a man to loue himfelfe, ora fatherto affect his children ' And it being anaturali inclination in vs, to louethofethat louevs,why fhould this bee giuen D 3 vs Deut.;a.jq, Ecd7. z.Ep.ioh. ta.s
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